Stock Markets Jump as Banks Lead Dow, S&P to New Highs
U.S. stocks rallied to fresh highs on Tuesday as investors picked up large-cap companies' shares on the expectation that central bank stimulus will propel the rally further.
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Stock Futures Mixed After S&P Closes at 5-Year High
Stock futures are mixed in light volume with markets awaiting the next rush of earnings reports DJIA and S&P 500 futures are down a hair, while Nasdaq futures are up a point. Traders appear to be holding their positions a day after the Standard & Poor's 500 Index ended at a five-year peak.
The Best Dividend Offense Is a Good Defense Stock
In 2011, the S&P 500 Index went nowhere. In fact, it lost a little. But you don't have to suffer just because stock prices stay flat -- if you buy companies that pay strong dividends, like these 4 options in the defense sector.
Could the S&P 500 Fall Another 20% in 2011?
After the losses of the past week, it seems hard to imagine that the S&P 500 has much further to decline. But the index took a fall to near 1,000 as recently as last July, and the issues that punished the markets then are looming over the economy again -- or perhaps, still.
Reading the Tea Leaves of the Shanghai Composite
The Shanghai Composite is as close to a proxy for public firms in China as investors can get, and indexes are believed to reflect where markets think a nation's economy is headed. So what does it mean that, despite China's white-hot growth, the Shanghai Composite has been seriously lagging the S&P 500?
Millionaires' Confidence Reaches Three-Year High
Wealthy investors now have more confidence in the economy than they've had in nearly three years, according to Chicago consulting firm Spectrem, which manages the Spectrem Millionaire Investor Confidence Index.
Consumer Sentiment Plummets Over Income, Job Fears
Talk about a disappointment: The consumer sentiment index unexpectedly plunged 9.5 points from 76 to 66.5 in July as Americans became increasingly concerned about the U.S. economic recovery's strength and lackluster job growth.
Industrial Surveys Show Economic Recovery Slowing
One nation industrial and two regional surveys released this week provided further evidence that the U.S. economic recovery weakened somewhat in the second quarter, as manufacturing growth slowed.
U.S. Home Prices Rose Faster Than Expected in April
The U.S. housing sector improved a bit more than expected in April, as home prices in 20 major cities rose 3.8% on a year-over-year basis, according to the S&P/Case-Shiller survey. But is rising housing demand real, or was it a temporary surge from the now-expired home buyer tax credit?
Consumer Sentiment Hits Best Level in Two Years
The consumer sentiment index unexpectedly rose to 76 in June -- its highest level in more than two years -- as Americans became slightly more optimistic about the economy. However, despite the rise, sentiment remains well below normal levels.
Dumb Luck Stock Index Clobbers Top Wall Street Fund Managers
Our blogger creates a random stock index and ends up landing in the top 1% of mutual funds for 2009 -- further evidence that picking the right stocks is a game of luck.
What to Know About Actively Managed ETFs
A slew of asset managers are racing to cash in on the growing interest in this version of exchange-trade funds. So, just what's the appeal of having a real live portfolio manager at the helm? The experts weigh in.
Hot New Debt Securities
There was a time not long ago when nobody knew what an ETF was. Now, just when you've gotten accustomed to ETFs, you've probably begun hearing a bit of buzz around their cousins, the ETNs: exchange-traded notes. Here's what every investor should know.
